“I thought it would be very beneficial for me to get an MBA degree to hone my skills and knowledge, and to have a nice growth in my professional career. It was very challenging, but very interesting, this journey of two years. I’m happy I’ve earned the degree from such a reputable college.”

Her husband was her “pillar” of support throughout the journey, along with her family and friends.

“Coming over here in the United States and getting a degree from over here, it’s really a big thing. And I think with the help of all of my family and my friends, without them I could not have achieved this, so the credit goes to them, and of course my husband.”

We talked to Patil about her academic journey and what it means for her to complete this milestone.

Q. Why did you go back to school?

It was my dream to get an MBA degree. I have completed my master’s in computers from India, and I started working for a manufacturing automobile company. Fortunately, I got the chance to work in the management field, and from there I got more interested in the management. I thought it would be very beneficial for me to get an MBA degree to hone my skills and knowledge and to have a nice growth in my professional career.

Q. What made you choose this program at Florida Tech?

I came here with my husband to the U.S., he’s working in the IT industry. Then, I started searching for what I can do, because I left my job, I’m here, I don’t have anything to do. So I started my MBA after searching many universities and colleges. With my visa, I was only able to do online classes, not the on-campus classes. So I started searching many online universities, and with Florida Tech, my major interest and the program were hand-in-hand, so I thought it’s the best combination, to go with Florida Tech.

Q. Why did you choose online?

For me, it was mainly convenience. It was 100% online, so there’s no need to go to the campus for taking your exams or anything. I can do everything at my home with no need to go anywhere, so it was a major convenient thing for me. Second, whatever I was doing, it was going in line with my routine. True, it was very hectic, having so many assignments, and the timelines, but I was able to manage things with my family and my personal life easier.

Q. What was the most rewarding part of your academic journey?

I found my GPA to be rewarding. I graduated with a 4.0. But, I can say it’s not only me, it’s my professors, it’s their efforts and my efforts – it’s a combination of both things. And of course the knowledge I gained from this program – that’s the main thing.

Q. How did your professors help you through this journey?

The experience with all the professors was really nice. I used to ask them a lot of questions over email, but I definitely got a good response from them, and they helped me a lot to resolve my queries about my assignments. I got real-time and professional knowledge from them, which I could definitely implement in my future career.

Q. Now that you have your degree, what are your plans?

Q. Why did the U.S. degree mean so much to you?

I can say graduating from the United States is definitely adding more value when I’m working in India. It will definitely be a plus point for me that I have a degree from the United States.

Q. Tell us about those who supported you and how they helped you.

The major pillar, I can say, is my husband, because he inspired me a lot. All the things in our life happened as per my MBA, so if I had any assignment or deadlines, we would plan things accordingly. For us, for these two years, the topmost priority was my MBA. So he is definitely the biggest support for me.

I also got really nice support from my student services representative. She was really nice and she helped me a lot to get into the classes. She answered so many questions and she was very friendly. My classmates also helped me a lot throughout this journey. I’m really super excited to meet them at the graduation ceremony because over the last two years, we have done lots of discussions and phone calls, but we have not met face-to-face. I’m really excited to meet them face-to-face, and I want to share my joy with them.

Q. Do you have any advice for online students?

One piece of advice I’d like to definitely share with everyone is that they really have to be on their toes to complete their assignments, because even though you are doing things online, the quality should not be compromised, and of course if you compromise the quality it will definitely reflect on your marks. So if you want to really achieve something, want to learn something, you really have to dedicate your time, your efforts, and only then will you be able to get the knowledge.

Are you a graduate of Florida Tech’s 100% online degree programs? We would love to share your success story in our Student Spotlight series. Contact us at studentspotlight@bisk.com for additional details.